Family ties
by quiller
Summary: The ties of blood can be a strength – but they can also be a weakness. A sequel to 'English symphony' -Complete story-
1. Brothers

Family ties

Author's note: this story is the third in my sequence of _Aftershock/ English symphony_ and continues on immediately after the end of the latter. I have given it a PG13 rating because of the violence in the last chapter. All dates and ages are based on Chris Bentley's _Complete book of Thunderbirds_. The Hood's knowledge of the Tracy family is based on the way he is portrayed in the John Theydon novels.

A final word: I really get a kick out of receiving your reviews – they're the pay-off for all the work I have put in to a story. But for the benefit of other readers, please try not to give the end of this story away when you review it.

I acknowledge Carlton plc as the copyright holders of the _Thunderbirds _characters and my gratitude as usual goes to Gerry Anderson and his team for creating them and giving us all so much pleasure.

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1. Brothers

The airport arrivals hall was busy, as such places always are, when Virgil and Amanda finally emerged from Customs, with Virgil pushing a heavily laden trolley.

"Is someone coming to meet us?" questioned Amanda.

"Yes," replied Virgil, "but I'm not sure who – it depends whether the guys are out on a call or not."

Then Virgil heard a familiar voice. "Hey, little brother! Over here!"

"Scott!" with a yell that must have been heard the other end of the hall, Virgil let go of the trolley and dashed over to the barrier. Amanda saw her fiancé being embraced by a taller edition of himself, with slightly darker hair. She pushed the trolley towards them, at the same time noticing a beautiful, dark-skinned girl, several inches taller than herself, who was standing next to Scott, regarding the brothers with an affectionate expression.

Virgil let go of his brother and turned to Amanda. "Amanda, this is my brother Scott, and his wife Elizabeth. Scott, this is my fiancée, Amanda."

Scott took Amanda's hand. "So you're the one brave enough to take on my kid brother are you? Do you really know what you're letting yourself in for?"

She smiled at him. "Well, maybe during my visit you can tell me what I need to know."

"Yes, and if he can't think of anything, I'm sure he can make it up" said Virgil, grinning.

Amanda found herself being led towards a sleek executive jet, where the boys quickly stowed the luggage in the hold. As the group boarded the plane. Scott turned towards the cockpit and Virgil glanced after him, then looked back towards Amanda, hesitating. She smiled at him. "You can't wait to get your hands on the controls of a plane, can you? Go on then."

"You don't mind?"

She shook her head, smiling. "No, it will give Elizabeth and I the chance for a chat."

Soon the plane was in the air and heading for Tracy Island. Amanda turned to her companion. "So what's it like, being married to International Rescue?"

Elizabeth gave her an appraising glance. "Sister, that's exactly what it's like! With these boys it's family first, the organisation second, and partners third." She glanced towards the door of the cockpit and smiled to herself. "Not that I'm complaining, mind you. Coming third with a man like Scott beats coming first with many men I've known. These boys have a zest for life that is infectious – it's as if their work makes them appreciate that life is so precious that you don't waste a minute of it. Things are certainly never dull on Tracy island!"

"Yes." replied Amanda, "I know what you mean. Watching Virgil recover from his injuries was like watching someone coming awake after a long sleep."

"You certainly did a good job with him there. We were all really worried about him – especially Scott. Those two are very close. Don't let their teasing fool you – they can be fiercely protective when needed. Their grandmother and I both protested when Jeff sent Virgil to England – it seemed a very unfeeling thing to do, even if it was done with the best of intentions. But Jeff's word is law on the island and the boys never think of questioning it"

Amanda smiled. "Well, from my point of view, I'm glad he did."

Just then the door of the cockpit opened. Scott emerged and approached Amanda. "We're coming up on the island now, and as my little brother assures me he still remembers how to land a plane, I thought you might like to sit in the cockpit so you can get the best view."

Amanda entered the cockpit and sat down in the empty seat. She looked out over a brilliant blue sea to a small, craggy island in the distance.

Virgil spoke into the radio. "This is Tracy Flier One requesting clearance to land."

A gruff voice answered. "Tracy Island to TF One. Permission granted. Welcome home, son."

"Thanks, Dad. It's good to be back. See you in a few minutes. TF One out."

As the aircraft came in over the island, Amanda had a quick view of sandy beaches, the blue of a swimming pool, and a modern looking house nestling against a cliff wall, as Virgil lined them up on a runway that ran from the edge of the sea to end against a cliff wall. She supposed that on a small island the siting of a runway must have been fairly restricted. but was relieved when the small craft came to a halt well short of such a forbidding barrier. She pointed to a hangar to one side of the runway. "Is that where you keep your Thunderbird machines?" she asked.

Virgil smiled, "No, they're all hidden away. That's the 'public' hangar, where we keep our ordinary planes, like this one." 

As they made their way to the main cabin, Elizabeth was looking out of the window. "Looks like your brothers are here to welcome you home, Virgil."

"No," said Virgil, grinning, "they've just come to give you a hand with your shopping."

She punched his arm. "Virgil, that's unfair!" She turned to Amanda to explain. "When I first arrived here I'd lost all my belongings, so I had to buy a lot of new stuff, and these two will never let me forget it!"

As Scott opened the door, Virgil looked down at the group waiting below. "Hey, John's still here! I thought he was due up on the station last week."

"Alan said he could stay a few days longer as you were due home. I think he wanted to meet Amanda. We're taking him back tomorrow morning." Scott gave his brother a push. "Go on, you go first."

As Virgil reached the bottom of the steps, a slim, dark figure rushed forwards, calling his name. Virgil picked her up and whirled her round. "Tin Tin! So you've forgiven me for snapping at you then, honey?"

"Of course I have, silly! I'd forgiven you that before you left home."

Virgil was suddenly conscious that Amanda was standing just behind him. He put Tin Tin down and turned. "Amanda, this is Tin Tin Kyrano. Tin Tin, this is Amanda."

The girls shook hands, then Tin Tin said "Are you really Annabelle Lee? I must have read all your books! I've been so looking forward to meeting you." and any unease Amanda might have felt towards this petite girl quickly evaporated.

Virgil felt himself being grabbed from behind. "Don't brothers get introduced as well?" said Gordon's voice. Virgil then found himself enveloped in a hug on both sides.

"Hey!" he protested, laughing, " I've just finished recovering from a set of cracked ribs – I don't need any more!" He turned towards Amanda, one arm still round each brother. "Amanda, this funny looking one is my kid brother, Gordon, and the one that looks like a pop-star is my big brother John."

After greetings had been exchanged, Scott said "Why don't you two head up towards the house – we'll bring the luggage up later."

Virgil and Amanda left the other boys loading their luggage into the back of a small electric cart and walked back down the runway and around the base of the mountain that formed the centre of the island. They passed a swimming pool and climbed a curving flight of steps towards a modern house that stood with one side against the rock wall.

At the top of the stairs a grey-haired man who bore a resemblance to both Scott and Virgil held out his hand. "Welcome to my home, Lady Amanda. I'm Jeff Tracy."

Amanda shook the offered hand. "Just 'Amanda', please Mr Tracy. I don't use my title" she said, smiling.

"Fine, Amanda it is, then. But you must call me Jeff."

An older woman stepped forward. "And I'm Jeff's mother, but please call me Grandma – everyone else does."

An older man with oriental features bowed low, his hands folded together. "My name is Kyrano. You may have already met my daughter at the landing strip. I will be serving refreshments shortly. Would you prefer coffee, Indian or Earl Grey tea?"

"Earl Grey would be lovely, thank you."

Virgil took Amanda by the hand. "Now you've met everyone here, there's someone else I want you to see. Come with me while the boys are still bringing the luggage." He led Amanda along a corridor and down some stairs, then pushed open a door. The room was chaotic – half built, or half dismantled pieces of equipment piled up on benches, chairs and in corners. In the centre of the room stood a young man wearing thick, blue-rimmed glasses with a distracted expression. He looked up. "Ah, V-virgil, you haven't s-seen my v-voltmeter have you?"

Virgil looked at him "You've got it clipped to your waist, Brains."

Brains looked down and unclipped the instrument.

"Brains," said Virgil, "this is Amanda. She's here on a visit."

"Oh, er, hallo, er, miss" said Brains, then looked at Virgil again. "I just can't seem to get this circuit right. It keeps shorting out on me."

Virgil grinned. "I'll be back to give you a hand later. I'm just taking Amanda down to the hangar." He led Amanda through to another, even untidier, room, and pressed a concealed switch. A bookcase swung away from the wall to reveal a passageway. From the look of the walls, Amanda guessed they were now walking through the natural rock of the hillside.

She turned to Virgil "Was that who you wanted me to meet? He didn't seem very pleased to see you"

Virgil laughed, "No, Brains is a genius, and without him International Rescue wouldn't exist, but when he's working on a new project he's not always on the same planet as the rest of us. He probably doesn't even remember I've been away. No," he said, as he pushed open a door at the end of the corridor, "this was what I wanted to show you. Hold on while I get the lights."

He pulled a switch and Amanda gasped. She found herself standing on a balcony in a vast cavern. Below her, a huge, green craft stood on stilts, its tail nearest to her and its nose towards a large metal door. The craft's centre was hollowed out, and a series of containers that looked as if they would fit in the empty section, stretched away to her right.

"Thunderbird 2!" exclaimed Virgil. "Isn't she a beauty?"

"You fly that?" said Amanda. "It's enormous!"

"Yes" said Virgil, "she's the largest, fastest thing in the sky after Thunderbird 1. Scott is faster but my baby has to carry all the equipment. The rescue can't start till we get there!"

Amanda smiled at the pride evident in his voice, then looked around the cavern. "This place is huge. Is it a natural formation?"

Virgil shook his head, "No, it's part natural, created by an air pocket in the magma chamber of the volcano that formed this island. The rest was carved out by the American government. This whole island used to be a base for Strategic Air Command in the twentieth century 'Cold war'. This hangar once housed a fleet of bombers, and Thunderbirds 1 and 3 are in old missile silos. The whole place was abandoned at the end of the last century, then Dad got to hear about it when he was planning International Rescue and bought it. I think he quite likes the irony of something that was created to threaten life now being used to save it."

Just then they heard footsteps in the corridor and turned as Gordon came out onto the balcony. "There you are! I told the others you'd be showing Amanda the other lady in your life!" He looked over the balcony at the mighty craft. "Well, you can see for yourself, bro, I've been looking after her for you. Not a scratch on her."

"And no whoopee cushions on the seat?" said Virgil, suspiciously.

Gordon held up his hand, "Brother's honour. I _did _think of tying a big bow round her nose to welcome you home, but Tin Tin. didn't have enough hair-ribbons." He grinned at Virgil, then looked serious. "I'll go over the maintenance schedules with you later, and then I can get back to where I belong – underwater! Right, come on, tea's ready upstairs, and if we don't hurry, Scott will have grabbed all the cakes!"

After tea, Virgil spent the rest of the afternoon giving Amanda a tour of the house and island. Dusk was falling as they returned along the beach. There seemed to be a lot of activity down by the pool, and a tantalising smell of cooking hung in the air. "We were wondering when you two would turn up" said Gordon, grinning. "we'd decided to celebrate your homecoming with a barbecue, but thought we might have to start without you."

Brains looked up from his chair. "Virgil! You're back!"

Virgil smiled, "Yes, Brains, I got back this afternoon. This is my fiancée, Amanda. She'll be staying with us for a couple of weeks." Brains shook Amanda's hand, but seemed to have no recollection of their previous meeting.

Amanda found herself eating a delicious meal, sitting next to Virgil in a swing chair and watching the stars come out above her. _'Yes', _she thought,_ 'I could definitely get to like this lifestyle'. _

After supper, Tin Tin showed her to the poolside wash-room, so she could clean up. As she emerged she could hear the strains of Gershwin's _Summertime_ echoing across the pool. She looked round to see where it was coming from and realised Gordon was playing a harmonica. As she sat back down next to Virgil the tune finished and she applauded. "That was beautiful, Gordon – have you been playing long?"

"Nearly ten years now. I like the sound of the harmonica. Besides," he gave a sly grin towards Virgil, "it's easier to fit in a submarine than a grand piano!"

Hearing footsteps, Amanda turned to see Scott, who had been taking some of the dirty dishes up to the house, returning. To her surprise he was carrying a guitar. "Are you all musical?" she asked.

"Well," said Virgil with a grin, "all but Gordon, anyway."

A cushion came flying across the terrace. Virgil caught it and with a flick of his wrist sent it spinning back towards Gordon. Amanda blinked. She was still not used to the interactions between these Tracy men. Their grandmother, however, was not so impressed. "Boys!" she said sharply. "Remember we have a guest!"

"Sorry, Grandma," chorused Virgil and Gordon, then Virgil leaned back, stretching luxuriously, "Oh, but I've missed all this!"

"What?" queried Gordon, "having cushions thrown at you? You should have said – we could have flown over Lady Penelope's place and dropped a whole pod-load on you!"

As the laughter died down, Scott started to play his guitar. Amanda recognised the tune '_Cavatina_'. When he finished, she noticed Elizabeth reach up and stroke the back of his neck. In return he turned his head and kissed her hand. It seemed to be a very intimate gesture, but nobody else seemed to notice. 

She looked at the stars above her and turned to Virgil. "Can you see your space station from here?"

Virgil shook his head, "No, it's specially painted so it doesn't show up, but John can show you where it is."

John came over and knelt beside their chair. "You see that palm tree down on the beach?" he said, pointing. "And just to the right of it, a group of stars in a triangle? Thunderbird 5 is just below the bottom corner of the triangle."

She looked at this quiet young man, so different from his brothers. "Don't you get lonely up there for weeks on end?"

He shook his head. "Not when I have the whole world to listen to. I can hear or watch any tv or radio programme in the world, and of course there are always the stars to look at. I never tire of that."

Scott waited until John had resumed his seat, then looked across at Gordon. "You ready for this?" and started playing a series of chords on his guitar. Gordon responded with the melody, and the Beatles song _And I love her _drifted out into the night.

When the music finished, Jeff spoke. "John, Scott, don't forget you've got an early start in the morning." He turned to Virgil. "You can sleep in and get over your jet-lag. You'll take back officially from Gordon tomorrow afternoon."

"F.A.B. Dad," they responded, and most of the party stood up, calling their 'goodnights' as they made their way up the stairs to the house. 

Virgil turned to Amanda. "So, do you think you'd like to live here with us?"

"Virgil, this is paradise!" She paused, "Mind you, I was a bit worried when I saw Tin Tin greet you this afternoon. I'm glad you had told me she was Alan's girlfriend, or I might have thought I had a rival there!"

Virgil looked at her earnestly. "To be honest, I was in love with her at one time, but then she was the only female apart from Grandma within a 500 mile radius. Not that it would have done me any good – she's never looked at anyone but Alan."

"So you don't love her now?"

"Oh, we all love her." said Virgil, with the air of someone stating the obvious. "There isn't one of us who wouldn't crawl through fire for her." he paused, glancing at Amanda "and why are you looking at me like that?"

"Sorry", said Amanda, shaking her head and smiling, "I was just reminding myself that when you say something like that you might not be talking metaphorically!"

"So you're not jealous of Tin Tin?"

"No" she said, with a smile, "from the way you've been talking today I think I've got more reason to be jealous of Thunderbird 2!"

Laughing and holding hands, they made their way up the stairs to the house.


	2. Parents

2. Parents

The following morning, Amanda was woken by a roar. "What's that noise?"

Virgil glanced at his watch. "That'll be Scott and Alan returning home. Sounds like our cue to get up."

By the time Amanda had dressed and found her way to the kitchen, she entered to see a blond figure with his head inside the fridge. "Good morning!" she said in a cheerful voice, causing the figure to stand up suddenly – too suddenly, it seemed, as he banged his head on the roof of the fridge.

He turned, rubbing his head. "Good morning" he replied, smiling at the pretty girl standing before him and extending his hand, "we haven't met. I'm Alan."  
"Hey, Alan is that you in there?" called Virgil, entering the kitchen. The two brothers embraced.

"Virgil, you're looking a heck of a lot better than last time I saw you! I bet you didn't get that tan in England." He turned to Amanda. "I was just admiring this beautiful 'English Rose' you've brought back with you – yes, definitely worth breaking a leg for." He grinned at Amanda and winked.

"Amanda, don't believe anything this one tells you," said Virgil, grinning to show that he was joking.

"It's all right, I'm starting to get used to you Tracys _en masse_!" she replied.

Just then Gordon entered the room. "Hi, there, Virg. I see you managed to get out of bed at last!" he smirked, then paused, "I'm taking the catamaran out this afternoon to see some friends of mine. Would you and Amanda like to come?"

"They're back again, are they?" asked Virgil.

"Yes, Alan picked up their signals this morning. We're setting off about 2pm. You're welcome to come"

Virgil turned to Amanda. "Fancy a sea trip?"

"Sounds fun!"

So later that day Amanda found herself accompanying the other Tracy brothers and their partners down to the boathouse. To her surprise, Alan and Tin Tin dropped their load of swimming gear outside the boathouse, and continue along the path, waving as the others called their goodbyes.

"Aren't they coming too?" she asked.

"No," said Virgil, smiling after the receding figures, "they've got a bit of catching up to do. This is only a small island, and sometimes it's hard to get any privacy. We just give them some time to themselves."

As they entered the boathouse, Amanda was impressed by the range of craft inside. There seemed to be everything from the ocean-going yacht that she supposed no self-respecting millionaire could do without, to speedboats, kayaks, surfboards and jet-skis. Gordon, however was stowing the gear aboard a sleek catamaran, and issuing orders that his brothers jumped to obey.

Once out in open water the boat sped along under sail "We only use the engine if an emergency call comes in and we have to get back in a hurry" explained Virgil, when Amanda asked.

They had been sailing about half an hour, when Gordon, standing in the bows, called out "There they are!" and pointed.

Amanda looked, but couldn't see another boat. Then she saw a grey body arching out of the water. "Gordon's 'friends' are dolphins?"

"Yes, he's been studying them for over ten years now. Some of them are tagged and we can track them from Thunderbird 5. He's given them all names, and knows who is related to who."

Gordon peeled off his sweatshirt, and with a cry of "See you in a minute, guys!" made a swift dive off the bow.

Amanda watched the way his body cut through the water. "He's a good swimmer."

"Yes," said Virgil, dryly, "that's probably why he's got an Olympic gold medal for it hanging on his bedroom wall."

Amanda looked at her fiancé. "Are you having me on?"

Virgil shook his head, "No, don't you remember the stories in the papers about 'Coppertop' Tracy at the '64 Olympics?"

"That name rings a bell. Didn't he survive some terrible accident and go on to win his medal?"

Scott looked at his brother. "Looks like John was right to get us to drop that name."

While they were talking the boys had been reefing the sails, dropping anchor, and lowering a diving platform from the stern, while Amanda watched Gordon cavorting with his friends in the distance. "So," she said with a smile. "lets see if I've got this straight. Gordon's best friend is a dolphin, and Virgil's is a big, green aeroplane. Are there any other 'best friends' I need to know about?"

"Well," said Virgil, "Alan's got a pet alligator – but it's not exactly friendly."

She gave him a withering look. "Now I know you're kidding!"

"No, honest!" he protested. "It's only a little one." He held his hands about three feet apart to illustrate. "It lives in a pen in the garden. If you ask him nicely, he'll introduce you."

By now Gordon and his 'friends' had swum alongside the boat. "Aren't you coming in, folks?" he called up to them.

The group entered the water, to be met by sleek, grey bodies that slid around them in welcome. "They always seem pleased to see us" commented Scott, stroking the back of the creature that swam past him.

"They'll even take you for a ride if you want" said Virgil to Amanda.

"Yes," put in Scott, "sometimes we can get a couple of them to pull two of us along at once. They seem to enjoy the race as much as we do."

"Here," said Gordon, "I'll show you." He patted the water a couple of times with the palm of his hand, then held his hand curved just above the surface. A grey shape shot up from below and towed him away across the waves.

"That looks fun" said Amanda.

"Yes, it's great fun," added Elizabeth, "though if it's one of the younger ones it can be a bit rough – a bit like being on a very wet roller-coaster." She copied Gordon's movements and another slim form appeared and yanked her away. However they had only travelled a few yards when another, larger dolphin cut across their path, forcing them to stop abruptly. Elizabeth disappeared beneath the waves and came up spluttering.

"What on earth..?" she said, spitting out water.

"They've never done that before," said Scott, looking puzzled.

Just then Gordon returned and looked at the confused expressions. "What's going on?" he asked.

"We're not sure," answered Scott. "That dolphin was just taking Elizabeth for a ride when this one stopped it, but we don't know why. Any ideas?"

Gordon looked at the two dolphins. "The smaller one is Frisbee – he's one of the young males – a teenager in dolphin terms. The larger one is Martha. She's one of the matriarchs who look after the pod, keep an eye on the calves, that sort of thing." He broke off, a small smile forming, and turned to Scott. "See if she'll let you ride with him."

Scott signalled and this time the larger dolphin made no move as the smaller one towed him across the waves. Gordon then turned to Elizabeth. "Now you signal to Martha." Elizabeth did as instructed and the large dolphin towed her very slowly round in a circle and back to Gordon, then circled around Elizabeth, making clicking sounds. Gordon turned to Elizabeth, the grin on his face nearly as wide as the dolphin's. "Elizabeth, you're not pregnant, are you?"

By now Scott was swimming back towards them. "Have you found out what happened?"

Elizabeth turned to him. "Gordon says the dolphin thinks I'm pregnant," she said, indignantly.

"Well, are you?"

Elizabeth blushed. "I don't know, I might be. How would they know, anyway?"

Gordon grinned. "The sonar they use for echo-location can see right through our bodies. When I came back after my hydrofoil accident they examined me all over – they could see where all the breaks had been in my limbs. That was the first time I had got really close to them. I think they knew I had been hurt and somehow wanted to help."

Scott swam over to Elizabeth and whispered in her ear. She smiled and gave him a hug.

"I don't suppose we've got any pregnancy testing kits in sick-bay, have we?" he said with a smile.

"No," said Virgil, grinning. "It's not something we've ever needed before."

"In that case," said Scott, still looking at Elizabeth and smiling, "I think we'll be taking a quick trip to the mainland tomorrow. Alan can cover for me until I get back. No one will be too surprised if I say Elizabeth wants to do some more shopping. Ow!" he finished as she punched him on the arm.

Elizabeth looked a the faces in front of her. "Look, guys," she said, hesitating, "this is a bit personal…"

"OK," said Virgil, "we won't spill the beans. We'll wait 'til we've been 'officially' informed, rather than by dolphin."

"I suppose" said Gordon, with a grin, "that's what you'd call 'sea-mail'" 

"Gordon!" exclaimed his brothers, wincing at the joke.

As Scott gave his wife another embrace, Gordon whispered to Virgil, "I've just thought, you know how over-protective Scott can be as a big brother. Can you imagine what he's going to be like as a father?"

The following evening Jeff stood on the balcony watching the sunset. He heard someone come out and turned to see his mother standing beside him.

"Well, Jeff," she said, smiling, "how do you like the thought of being a grandfather?"

Jeff shook his head, "Once I get used to the idea, I think I'll be thrilled. At the moment I'm still trying to get my head round it. I had thought from the way the boys were acting last night that we were in for some major prank from Gordon, but I never expected this." He turned to his mother, "I must say, you didn't seem very surprised when they told us the news."

Ruth Tracy smiled again. "I noticed the way Scott was looking at Elizabeth last night. I've seen that look on young men's faces before when they look at their wives – including yours, Jeff Tracy. It's a sort of mixture of pride and awe, like they can't quite believe what's happening."

Jeff turned so he could see Scott and Elizabeth sitting on the couch. "Still, it leaves me with a decision to make. Do I take Scott off operations now, or wait until the baby is born?"

Ruth looked at her son "Would you have wanted to be pulled off the moon-shot because Lucille was expecting Scott?"

"Of course not! Besides, we didn't know she was expecting until I got back."

His mother snorted. "You didn't, you mean."

Jeff turned to look at her. "Mother? What are you saying?"

"Lucille knew she was having a baby before you left for the moon, so did I. We decided not to tell you so you wouldn't be distracted."

Jeff was dumbfounded. "Well, of all the…My own mother…!"

"And if you had known, would you still have wanted to go?"

"Of course I would – but that was different!"

"Yes," said his mother. "Very different. Scott never goes over a quarter of a million miles from home. Scott is never out of contact with everyone else on the planet. Scott always has at least one of his brothers with him who will do their damnedest to make sure he doesn't come to any harm."

Jeff looked at his mother. "I never realised you worried about me so much."

Ruth smiled. "It's a parent's job to worry about their children." She looked past her son to the young couple on the couch. "And maybe if Scott takes a few less risks with his own skin because he's got a family at home to worry about, then that will be no bad thing either. Now, I wonder where I put those knitting patterns for baby clothes?"


	3. Halfbrothers

3 Half-brothers

The sun was just setting over the Malaysian jungle as The Hood stormed into his temple hide-out. He was in a foul mood. One of his subordinates had been returning with the last payment in gold and jewels from a foreign government for whom The Hood had obtained some secret information. It had been a routine journey, but then the fool had been stopped by Customs officials, and as he was unable to give a valid explanation for the goods he was carrying, or produce proper documentation, the treasure had been impounded. At first The Hood had suspected the man of keeping the treasure for himself, until the fool had managed to convince him of his innocence. Still, at least he had not lived long to regret his mistake, and maybe his death would improve the performance of the other imbeciles that worked for him. 

The Hood ground his teeth, thinking of the wasted effort on that project. Still, he had plenty of other irons in the fire. He glanced towards the dais in the centre of the temple, where once the altar had stood. Whatever gods had originally been worshipped in this place had long since gone. The only gods The Hood worshipped were his own evil genius and lust for power. He moved in front of the dais and waved his hand through a photo-electric beam that swung aside the beaded curtains and switched on the lights (he had always had a taste for drama) illuminating an eight-foot high bronze statue of his half-brother, Kyrano. He had heard little in the news about International Rescue lately. It was high time he 'dropped in' on that idiot brother of his to see what was happening. After all, he smiled to himself, families had a duty to keep in touch.

It was mid-afternoon on Tracy island, and Kyrano entered his room in the self-contained flat that Jeff had provided for him and his daughter. He sat down in his favourite chair by the window that looked out onto his prize orchid garden. This had always been his time for meditation, but lately it was becoming more often time for an afternoon nap. He had to admit that the years were starting to catch up with him. He was happy now to leave more of the running of the household to Mr Scott's young wife. When Miss Elizabeth  had first arrived on the island, their shared background in hotel management had given them a common bond, and he had been impressed by the calm and efficient way she performed her duties. Though he was not yet ready to retire altogether from looking after the Tracys as he had been doing for so many years, he was content to leave the day-to-day running of the household in her capable hands.

The scents from the garden wafted through the open windows as Kyrano felt his eyes grow heavy. Suddenly, though, he was aware that something was wrong – that this was no ordinary drowsiness. There was a rustling in his ears, and a faint mist started to obscure his thoughts. He struggled. "No, keep away! Let me go!"

A mocking voice echoed in his head. _"Kyrano, my dear brother! Is that any way to greet your oldest living relative?" _

In his temple, The Hood stood in front of the bronze statue, his eyes gleaming. _"Kyrano! You are powerless before me. I will see into your mind. You cannot resist!"_ Kyrano felt the fog invade his mind further, and he felt his will slipping away.

As his brother's mind opened before him, The Hood looked at the thoughts and images it contained. Working this way took more effort than simply asking questions, but he had learned from experience that it was more rewarding. If only his idiot brother had possessed any useful knowledge, like the exact co-ordinates of the Tracys' secret base, or technical information on the Thunderbird craft, but the imbecile was no use in that respect. The one time he had managed to get his brother to do something of practical use had ended badly for The Hood, so he had abandoned any further attempts. He suspected that if he ever got control of that delightful niece of his, that she would be more use in that respect. He still cursed the time he had let her and the young scientist they called Brains slip through his fingers at Lake Anasta, but at the time he had been too distracted by the thought of the treasure in the lake, and so missed the greater treasure he now realised had been within his grasp.

The Hood picked at the thoughts spread out before him, ignoring the white. wriggling worm of his half-brother's personality that lay pinned in a corner of its own mind. The first thought he picked out was am image of Thunderbird 2 lifting off. A rescue? _No_, _Mr Alan has gone to a motor race at Parola Sands_ The Hood considered this. The young, blond whelp was of little interest to him: perhaps if he had been accompanied by Kyrano's daughter it might have been worth some effort on The Hood's part to capture them both, but, no, not this time. He picked at another thought _the lady they call the 'English Rose' has returned home_. The Hood's features curled into a snarl. He had had several encounters with the ice-cool, blonde Englishwoman, and each time had come off worse. But, wait now, the mental image that accompanied that thought was of an entirely different person. He made a mental note to investigate this further. Another thought showed Scott Tracy and his new wife sitting together, accompanied by a feeling of anticipation. The Hood pushed further, curious _Miss Elizabeth is with child_ came the response. The Hood felt a wave of anger rise inside him. Many times had he tried to steal International Rescue's secrets, and had been foiled, and most often by that dark-haired devil's spawn, Scott Tracy. The very idea of that blundering young fool being able to thwart the plans of a genius like himself was hard to bear, and the thought of him having a happy family life brought bile to the Hood's throat. He would not allow this! That insolent son of a dog should suffer, as he had made The Hood suffer!

Suddenly, an idea came to him. It was not the slow, lingering fate that he would have liked to mete out to Jefferson Tracy's firstborn, but even if this plan failed he himself would be in no personal danger, and the repercussions might wreck the Tracy family. "_Kyrano!_" he thundered, "_you will listen to me. You will sleep now, and remember nothing of our little chat, but tonight, when the family are asleep, you will KILL SCOTT TRACY!"_


	4. Severing the ties

4 Severing the ties

In the still of the night, Kyrano sat up in bed and opened his eyes. There was something he had to do. He left his room and, with his normal, silent tread made his way through the darkened house to the kitchen, where he selected a long, sharp carving knife from the rack on the wall, then turned back to the accommodation wing. Moving like a sleepwalker he made his way along the corridor that led to the rooms of Jeff, his mother, Scott, and the empty room that belonged to John.

The moonlight that shone through the window at the end of the corridor illuminated a small white object, pale against the dark carpet. Automatically, Kyrano bent to pick it up. Mrs Tracy had been busy with her knitting needles – in Kyrano's hand lay a tiny baby's bootee. Kyrano looked at it, remembering how Mrs Tracy had sent him similar items after Tin Tin was born. The trouble he had had to get them to stay on his daughter's tiny feet! It had been hard raising a child on his own, after his beloved wife had died in childbirth. A child needed two parents.

Two parents. Kyrano looked around, realising where he was for the first time. He looked at the knife in his hand and the bootee fell to the floor. "No" he whispered, softly. "No, I will not do it."

_"Yes, you will, Kyrano!"_ the voice thundered in his mind. _"You are powerless before me. You will do my bidding."_

"NO! I will not! You cannot make me!" Kyrano's voice rose to a scream. Doors opened along the corridor, illuminating the scene of Kyrano, his face pale and sweating, and his eyes wide with fear, struggling with himself, both hands grappling on the handle of a wickedly sharp knife.

"Kyrano? What's going on?" asked Jeff, still not fully awake.

"Look out, Dad, he's got a knife!" Scott pushed Elizabeth back inside their room, closed the door and stood protectively in front of the doorway.

Jeff looked at his mother. "Mother! Get back inside!"

Ruth Tracy shook her head. "Don't be silly, Jeff. Kyrano wouldn't hurt me."

Jeff took a step towards his old friend, his hand extended. "Come on, Kyrano, my friend. Give me the knife."

As Kyrano turned to face Jeff, Scott darted forward and made a grab for the knife, but the older man twisted round to face him waving the knife wildly. "Stay back!" he gasped, seeming to have trouble speaking. "He wants me to do this. I do not want to, but he is strong."

"Who wants you to do it, Kyrano? What's going on?" As he was talking, Scott was trying to edge closer. "Come on, put the knife down. I know you don't want to hurt anybody."

In the dimly lit temple, The Hood stood in front of the statue, his eyes blazing like twin pools of fire_. "Kyrano, my brother! You cannot resist me."_

"I will fight you. You are evil!"

_"Yes"_ came the mocking response in his mind, "_I am evil incarnate, and the bond of blood that ties us together makes you powerless before me. I am in control of your mind, and of your body. Kill Scott Tracy now!"_

"No! I will not let you use me in this way. I shall stop you, whatever the cost to myself!" To the horror of the watchers, Kyrano turned the knife and plunged it into his own chest, then pulled it out and dropped it on the floor. Scott picked up the knife, then threw it away down the corridor. Kyrano fell to his knees, his hands pressed to his chest. Jeff moved forward to support him. "Take it easy, my old friend. We'll look after you." He looked up to see that Virgil and Gordon had appeared at the top of the stairs leading from their rooms. "Fetch Brains, quickly!" he said, then glancing down at the blood-covered figure in his arms, added, "and Tin Tin".

Scott knelt by his side and was using a towel to try to staunch the flow of blood. His eyes met his father's and he shook his head slowly. He felt Kyrano grasp his hand. "I would not have let him do it, Mr Scott. He was strong, but I fought him."

Tin Tin came rushing up the stairs. She gave a gasp when she saw her father lying in an ever-spreading pool of blood, but knelt by his side and took his hand. Virgil, following behind her, looked over her head at his father. "Gordon and Brains have gone to sickbay for a stretcher." He looked down at Kyrano and Tin Tin. "Do you think I should go and get Alan?"

Jeff looked at the scene before him "Good idea, son. Take Thunderbird 2 and call Alan once you are airborne. He can drive out into the desert and meet you."

Tin Tin was bending over her father, tears on her face. "Father! What happened?"

Kyrano gave her a weak smile. "It was my brother. He is a powerful man, and a truly evil one. For too long he has been making me do wicked things," here he looked at Jeff, "giving away your secrets. But I am dying now, and soon I shall be free of him, so International Rescue will be in danger no longer."

_"You fool!"_ echoed the voice in his mind. _"Your daughter is close to you now. Her grief has brought her mind in contact with yours. Once you are dead I shall take control of her, then she will be my slave for the rest of her life"_

"No," whispered Kyrano, in despair. "My daughter, I love you. I will not let him have you."

"_Yes" _came the mocking reply in his brain._ "Soon she will be mine!"_

"Never!" answered Kyrano, his eyes dimming.

"Father, no!" cried Tin Tin, as her father's grasp on her hand slackened.

In the temple there was a loud crack as the great bronze statue split on two. The essence that had once been Kyrano poured out, powered by years of resentment and fury, hitting The Hood's mind like a shockwave. These emotions he was used to, and could have deflected, but they were driven by a desperation born of love, against which the evil genius had no defence. This was no wriggling white worm – this was a raging tiger, and in its rage it attacked The Hood's mind, tearing it apart. With a cry, The Hood sank to the floor and lay still.

Back on Tracy Island the family crowded round to comfort Tin Tin as she cradled her father's lifeless body in her arms. Overhead came the roar of jets from Thunderbird 2 taking off.

Dawn was just breaking over the Malaysian jungle. In a temple in a clearing a body lay motionless on the floor in front of a broken statue. A rat crept out of the darkness, and sniffed at the still form. Soon it was joined by others and they began to feed.

Final note: Just to repeat what I said at the beginning – I love getting your reviews, I really do. But if you review this, pleeeease don't give away the end for those who have not yet read it!

Q


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